[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S5584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    CONDEMNING RUSSIAN ANTI-SEMITISM

  Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I rise today in support of S. Con. 
Res. 19, a resolution condemning growing Russian anti-Semitism.
  Russian anti-Semitism, is nothing new in the world. Throughout 
Russian history, Jews have faced attacks in the form of pogroms, forced 
military duty for terms of up to 25 years, and a general pattern of 
persecution and discrimination. With the end of the Soviet Union and 
the rise of democracy in Russia, we thought these kinds of acts were a 
part of the past. Unfortunately, they are not.
  On Saturday, May 1, there were two bomb blasts at two Moscow 
synagogues, one at Moscow's main Choral Synagogue. There was light 
damage at both sites, yet the bombings on the Sabbath and on May 1, 
``May Day'' was a scary development.
  These violent acts, combined with the various statements issued by 
Communist members of the Russian Duma can only serve to stir up 
increased violence. This is extremely unfortunate.
  There is no place for violence and hatred in our society. We in 
Congress and the rest of the world must actively condemn this violence 
and hatred before it gets out of hand, as has been the case all too 
many times in this century. Thank you Mr. President.

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